The Beet Goes On
Foodie Friday
I asked the members of my food class called A Matter of Taste-Food and its Many Attractions – what they loved to eat and what they hated. It’s amazing how much energy people have for the foods they don’t like!
At the top of the list was liver. A few people came to its defense, including me, but I wasn’t about to convince anybody to give it another chance. (I grew up eating fabulous Jewish chopped liver made with real schmaltz and I still adore Pate of any kind.)
Next on the list were beets, followed by Brussels sprouts. That proved to be a rallying call and I pledged to bring in at least one dish from each ingredient to see if we could have a few conversion experiences.
I felt a bit messianic by the time I was done, even seeking out a recipe for Beet Preserves, something I had heard about or maybe even had in the past. There were no leftovers, so I guess I led them to the Beet of a different drum… (Sorry, I can’t resist…)
Cold Beet Borscht
Ingredients:
2 large cooked red beets (mine were roasted)
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch dill
1 tsp. sour salt (optional)
1-2 T sugar
1 T white wine vinegar
1 qt. buttermilk
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
- Puree all together, tasting for right blend of creamy, dill and sour/sweet/salty
- Chill and serve.
You can top it with more chopped dill, diced hard boiled eggs, diced cucumbers and chives
Beet Hummus
Ingredients:
2 cooked golden beets
1 can drained chick peas
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1 T. ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional – Hot sauce- Harissa or other
1-2 T. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Crush garlic into processor and add cumin, lemon juice and hot sauce.
- Add beets and chickpeas and process until smooth. Add oil for a bit more depth of flavor.
- Serve with pita or fresh vegetables as appetizer
Beet, Feta and Mint Salad
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs beets, cooked, peeled and diced in ½ chunks
3-6 oz. crumbled feta
½ – 1 C chopped fresh mint
2 T. Balsamic or other vinegar
2-4 T Olive oil
Optional: 1-2 fresh oranges, satsumas or tangerines cut in chunks
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Mix all ingredients and serve. You can also make ahead and let flavors blend.
Beet Preserves
Ingredients
2 large beets – steamed, peeled and diced
1 small orange and one small lemon – finely chopped
3 C sugar
1 C chopped pecans or other nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds would all work)
2 T ground ginger
1 T fresh grated ginger
Juice of one lemon
Directions:
- Cook diced beets with sugar and ginger over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Add chopped lemon and orange and continue cooking until slightly thickened – stir to prevent sticking – about 30 minutes.
- Stir in nuts.
Put in jar and keep refrigerated. You can process in boiling water if you want to keep them longer.
Graphic credit: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net